There is a wider debate in footballing circles in Scotland about the lack of academy graduates in the Scottish Premiership and Celtic are one of a number of teams lacking in that department.
Only four players aged 20 or under have made more than eight starts in the top-flight across every club in the division, whilst no player for Rangers or Celtic has made more than six starts.
In fact, no Scottish player aged 20 or under has started a league match for the Hoops under Brendan Rodgers this season, and Alex Valle - with seven starts - is the only player in that age bracket of any nationality to start for the club.
|Celtic's youngest starters this season|
|24/25 Premiership|Age|Starts|
|---|
|Alex Valle|20|7|
|Arne Engels|21|17|
|Hyun-jun Yang|22|8|
|Paulo Bernardo|23|11|
|Adam Idah|24|15|
|Stats via WhoScored|
It is an issue for the development of young players in Scotland and it may be one of the reasons why teams lose their brightest prospects to teams in England, as Celtic once did with Ben Doak.
How much Liverpool paid for Ben Doak
Premier League giants Liverpool were able to sign the 16-year-old forward for a compensation fee of just £600k when they swooped for his services in the summer of 2022.
The teenage starlet had come on as a substitute in two Premiership matches by that point, but had not been given a start by Ange Postecoglou, and opted to further his career down south.
ben doak
Fast-forward almost three years and Doak is now a full Scotland international and has made 21 starts in the Championship on loan with Middlesbrough at the age of 19.
Where are they now
Where Are They Now
Celtic may rue that they were unable to convince the now-£30m-rated star to remain at Parkhead. However, the Hoops willingly cashed in on a star who could have been their own version of Doak last summer when they sold Mikey Johnston.
Why Mikey Johnston could have been Celtic's Ben Doak
The Glasgow-born flanker came up through the academy system at Parkhead, like Doak, and racked up 13 goals and 12 assists in 93 appearances in all competitions for the club.
However, those matches were spread over the course of eight years and he never played more than 14 league matches in a single campaign for Celtic, which means that he did not get the chance to prove himself on a consistent basis.
Mikey Johnston
After spending the second half of last season on loan with West Brom, scoring seven goals in 20 matches, the Hoops sold him to the Baggies for a reported fee of £3m.
Johnston has created five 'big chances' and registered five assists in 19 starts in the Championship so far this season, as a fantastic creative presence on the flank.
[FBCharts] Ben Doak Comparisons
As you can see in the chart above, the Ireland international and Doak have performed at a similar level across a variety of metrics in the English second tier. They are both direct forwards who consistently look to create high-quality chances for their teammates.
Johnston, who was lauded as a "throwback" winger and described as "very special" by former teammate Joe Hart, has recorded as many league assists as Engels, and more than the likes of Luke McCowan (four) and James Forrest (four).
Therefore, Celtic may rue deciding to cash in on him last summer as they appear to have missed out on their own version of Doak, due to his creativity and his dribbling skills.
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